Tourism in Iran

Tourism in Iran provides a wide range of activities from hiking and skiing in the Alborz and Zagros mountains, to beach holidays by the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea. Iran's rich culture and history is reflected in large part by its 27 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, ranking first in the Middle East, and 10th in the world. Alongside the capital city Tehran, the most popular tourist destinations are Isfahan, Shiraz and Mashhad.

At its height in 2019, Iran attracted nearly 9 million foreign tourists in 2019, the world's third fastest-growing tourism destination before the pandemic. In 2021 and 2022, Iran's tourism industry grew 40% for two years in a row, expanding the sector's share to 4.7% of country's national economy. In September and October 2023, Iran achieved a positive balance compared to the same period in 2019. Iran's tourism experienced a growth of 43% in 2023, attracting 6 million foreign tourists.

97.7% of all tourist visits in Iran are for leisure purposes, while 2.3% are for business, indicating the country's strong appeal as a tourist destination. Iran is fast emerging as a preferred destination for medical tourism.

Travels from other Western Asian countries to Iran grew 31% in the first seven months of 2023, surpassing that of Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Domestic tourism in Iran is one of the largest in the world, with the Iranian tourists spent $33.3 billion in 2021.

Iran projects investment of over $32 billion in the tourism sector by 2026. The Iranian government ended visa requirements for 60 countries in 2023.

Iran was the world's third fastest-growing tourism destination in 2019.

Background
Tourism declined dramatically during the Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s.

Around 12 million tourists visit Kish Island annually. There are many Shi'ite shrines in Iran, the two main ones being Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad and Fatimah al-Ma'sūmah Shrine in Qom. Each year millions of pilgrims from Iran and all over the world visit these holy places.

In 2013, the number of foreign tourists in Iran reached 4.76 million, contributing more than US$2 billion to the national economy. Over 5 million tourists visited Iran in the fiscal year of 2014–2015, four percent more year-on-year.

According to a report published by World Travel and Tourism Council in 2015, the size of its tourism industry was estimated as having the potential to create jobs for 1,285,500 and rise by 4.1% pa to 1,913,000 jobs in 2025. Based on the report in the year of 2014, travel and tourism directly supported 413,000 jobs (1.8% of total employment). This was expected to rise by 4.4% in 2015 and rise by 4.3% pa to 656,000 jobs (2.2% of total employment) by 2025.

In October 2018, Ali Asghar Moonesan, the head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHTO), announced that the number of tourists who visited Iran in the first six months of the Iranian year (starting March 21) rose by 51 percent compared to the same period in 2017.

Foreign visitors
Organized tours from Germany, France, the UK and other European countries come to Iran to visit archaeological sites and monuments. As of 2023, Iran is home to 27 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the 10th highest number in the world, and ranks 5th globally in the number of inscriptions of Intangible Cultural Heritage, or human treasures. There is scope for increased visitors from the Islamic world, and also from non-Muslim countries with which Iran is developing business and political links, such as China, Russia and India etc.

From 2004, the country experienced a 100 percent growth in foreign tourist arrivals until mid-2008, when the number of foreign arrivals surged up to 2.5 million. In particular, there was an enormous increase in the number of German tourists traveling to Iran.

According to World Travel and Tourism Council, business and personal tourism rose by 11.3% and 4.6%, respectively, in real terms in 2007, with the growth in personal tourism modestly below that of the preceding year.

In 2011, most of Iran's international visitors arrived in Iran solely for the purpose of leisure travel. Leisure tourists arriving from abroad are also often relatives of Iranian citizens or expatriates residing outside of Iran returning to visit. Another key segment of international arrival traffic are pilgrims come to pay a visit to holy sites in the country. The number of international arrivals increased, up from 2.2 million people in 2009 to 3.6 million in 2011, with per capita spending of $1,850 per visit on average.

Over five million tourists visited Iran in the fiscal year of 2014–2015, ending March 21, four percent more year-on-year.

In 2021 and 2022, Iran's tourism industry grew 40% for two years in a row, expanding the sector's share to 4.7% of country's national economy. In September and October 2023, Iran achieved a positive balance compared to the same period in 2019. Iran's tourism experienced a growth of 48.5% in 2023, attracting over 5.2 million visitors. 97.7% of all tourist visits in Iran are for leisure purposes, while 2.3% are for business, indicating the country's strong appeal as a tourist destination. Travels from other Western Asian countries to Iran grew 31% in the first seven months of 2023, surpassing that of Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.

Mazandaran is the first tourist destination in Iran. In 2023, in the first 9 months of the year, more than 100 million people visited the province.

Visa requirements
Iran has tried to improve its complex and time-consuming visa application process, and started to issue week-long visas for the nationals of 68 countries at airports.

Iran has road border crossings connecting it with Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Rail lines from Turkey and Turkmenistan can also be used to enter Iran. About 70% of visitors arrived by land in 2002, about 29% by air and less than 1% by sea.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, Iran decided to boost its tourism sector. It announced to waive visa fees for spectators of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, who wished to visit Iran.

Iran ended visa requirements for 60 countries in 2023.

Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran


Iran's Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization is responsible for the establishment, development and operation of tourism facilities in Iran, planning for the repair or extension of tourism facilities through direct investment or providing loans to the private sector or entering into partnership with the private sector, issuing licenses and supervising the establishment and administration of hotels and restaurants and travel agencies and qualification and rating of these units.

Area considered for further expansion in the tourism sector in Iran are eco tourism, coastlines, restoration of historical relics, handicraft townships, and health tourism (e.g. water therapy). 30,000 people come to Iran each year to receive medical treatment (2012). Iran might become the leading country in the Islamic World when it comes to medical tourism due to a number of reasons that include the country's geographical position, the fluctuation of Iranian currency that leads to lower prices in healthcare services, as well as the development in medical research and technology. The growth rate of the healthcare system which, according to the World Tourism Organization, has increased of 5% in last decade, seems to indicate that in the future Iran will be one of the most visited countries by medical tourists, above all coming from the neighbouring countries, such as Azerbaijan, Iraq and Persian Gulf States. Officials state that Iran has in recent years earned about US$1bn a year from tourism. Close to 1.8% of national employment is generated in the tourism sector.

Iran's '20-Year Vision' document projects investment of over $32 billion in the country's tourism sector and targets 20 million tourists by 2025. In order to encourage domestic and foreign direct investment in this sector, the 50 percent tax exemption previously granted to tourism enterprises has been extended to include five-star hotels. Tariffs for utilities comply with industrial ones. Investment in Iran's free trade zones are exempt from taxes for up to 20 years. As of 2016, international hotel operators investing in Iran are Rotana (Abu Dhabi), Accor (France), Meliá (Spain) and Steigenberger (Germany) among others.